The Doug Lange Network 

January 27, 2019 

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The Western Washington University basketball squads came up short in a doubleheader Saturday at Carver Gym. Viking men fell 70-63 to Alaska Anchorage and the Western women came up short in a 76-61 loss to Central Washington. 

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VIKINGS LATE COMEBACK ATTEMPT FALLS

SHORT IN 70-63 LOSS TO UAA

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BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men’s basketball team dropped a hard-fought 70-63 game to Alaska Anchorage Saturday afternoon in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

 

WWU split its fifth consecutive conference week, finishing the first half of GNAC schedule 5-5 and 11-9 overall. Anchorage improved to 11-7 overall and 6-4 in GNAC play with its fourth consecutive victory and sixth in the last eight games. 

 

The game featured 7 lead changes and 6 tie scores, all in the first half, and WWU trailed by 3 points at 66-63 with 29 seconds remaining in the game before the Seawolves secured the win at the free throw line.

 

Junior Trevor Jasinsky (Camas, WA) recorded his fourth consecutive 20-point game with a game-high 20 points on 5-for-12 shooting (2-for-4 3FG, 8-for-9 FT). Jasinsky has now scored in double-digits in 19 of 20 games this season and is averaging 19.6 points per game. Jasinsky also grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds.

 

Junior guard Tucker Eenigenburg (Bakersfield, CA/Bakersfield College) added 15 points on 5-for-14 shooting and sophomore forward Luke Lovelady (Tacoma, WA/Life Christian/Point Loma) had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

 

The Vikings shot 38.6% for the game (22-for-57) and were 7-for-19 (36.8%) from 3-point range. UAA shot 48.0% (24-for-50) for the game, including a 11-for-22 in the second half. 

 

UAA had four players score in double-figures, led by 17 points from junior guard Jack Macdonald, 13 of which came in the second half. Sophomore guard Brennan Rymer added 14 points and junior shooting guard Niko Bevens scored 12 points on 4-for-8 from 3-point range.

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The Vikings open the second half of GNAC play next week against nationally-ranked Saint Martin’s on Thursday in Lacey (7 pm) and then take on Seattle Pacific on Saturday at Royal Brougham Pavilion in a 4 pm game. Six of WWU’s next eight games are on the road, with the next games in Carver Gym Feb. 7 (CWU) and Feb. 9 (NNU).

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-- @WWUHoops --

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VIKINGS FALL TO IN-STATE RIVAL CENTRAL WASHINGTON

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BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University freshman forward Katrina Gimmaka scored a career-high 17 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Vikings shot a season-low from the field in a 76-61 loss to in-state rival Central Washington Saturday night on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

 

The Vikings ended the first half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference season with a 5-5 record and are 10-8 overall. Central Washington improved to 12-5 overall and 7-3 in GNAC play.

 

The Vikings trailed 19-18 after the first quarter, but CWU out-scored WWU 45-27 in the second and third quarters to pull away for the 15-point victory. WWU shot a season-low 32.8% for the game (19-for-58). Seven of the 19 made shots from 3-point range to tie for the second-most made 3-pointers in a game this season. 

 

Gimmaka (Everson, WA/Nooksack Valley) finished with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range. She also had 7 rebounds and 2 steals in 29 minutes.

 

Junior forward Anna Schwecke (Evergreen, CO/Clear Creek/Colorado-Colorado Christian) added 12 points and a team-high 8 rebounds and sophomore guard Emma Duff (Tumwater, WA/Black Hills) had 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting.

 

Sophomore forward Kassidy Malcolm led Central with a game-high 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting, going 2-for-2 from 3-point range and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line. She also grabbed a game-high 9 points to fall just short of the double-double. Junior guard Alexis Pana added 14 points (4-for-7 FG) and senior guard Sadie Mensing had 12 points and 4 assists.

 

CWU shot 42.9% from the field for the game, including 17-for-36 (47.2%) in the second and third quarters where they pulled away from the Vikings.

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The Vikings remain at home next week, hosting the Alaska schools to open the second half of the GNAC schedule. WWU opens the week taking on nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and closes out the four-game homestand with Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday. Both games feature a 7 pm tip-off.

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-- @WWUWBB --

 

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